Steel Notes Magazine September 2016 - Page 35

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This is from The NY Daily News;
LOS ANGELES, March 29, 1971 — The
three young girls who confessed to murder
without remorse, and the man described as
their “satanic” master, must die in the gas
chamber for the Tate and LaBianca killings.
Neither Charles Manson nor his three followers were in the courtroom as the death
penalties were read. They were ousted by
Judge Charles H. Older when they interrupted the proceedings. The death penalties
for Leslie Van Houten, 21, Susan Atkins,
22, Patricia Krenwinkel, 23, and Manson,
36, were returned by their jurors at 4:25
p.m. today, after 10 hours of deliberation.
With all four defendants listening over a
public address system, Darrow read seven
death penalties for Manson, Miss Atkins
and Miss Krenwinkel, two death penalties for Miss Van Houten, and death penalties for all on conspiracy to commit murder. This probably was the
first murder trial of such importance in which the defendants were not present to hear their verdicts. It was also
believed to be the first in which a judge, after the jurors were polled, left the bench and shook the hands of the jurors, seven men and five women, and the three alternates. The jurors based their verdicts on evidence presented
during a nine-week penalty phase of the trial that was as bizarre, full of unprecedented events, and as dramatic
as the 32-week guilty-or-innocence phase preceding it. In a final statement, the girls said Manson knew nothing
about the killings, and that it was the girls alone who decided to commit “copy-cat” murders in an attempt to
free their “brother” in the Manson family, Bobby (Cupid) Beausoleil, from prison for the murder of Gary Hinman. Judge Older set April 19 for sentencing, and said he would also listen then to defense motions for a new
trial and for reduction of sentence. The judge has the power to reduce the death penalty to life imprisonment.
Appeals from death sentences are automatic in California. When you look over this whole debacle of a trial
which is rife with loads of no brainer appeals, mistrials, acquittals, prejudiced polluted jury pool, prosecutor and
defense attorney indicted for 3 counts of perjury each, Charlie not permitted to represent himself, Charlie was
not permitted Habeas Corpus, Charlie was not permitted to testify with the jury present, there were clear signs
of planted evidence, witnesses who were bribed, witnesses who were not called to testify by the defense, in fact,
THEY HAD NO DEFENSE TEAM AT ALL, they were all plants except for perhaps Hughes, who was murdered
at the end of the prosecution’s phase of the trial. There was ONLY hearsay and secondhand hearsay evidence,
flimsy circumstantial evidence, admission by prosecution that defendant was not present at either murder scene
and did not participate in any way with the actual murders and there was absolutely no evidence linking him to
any of the murders. There was one appeal and that was in 1976 and was denied. People V Manson (see below) …
He has been imprisoned since 1969. He has been denied parole 12 times and will not be considered for it again
until 2027, when he would be 92. It is sad, but undoubtedly true, that parole boards are political bodies that base
decisions as much upon anticipated public reaction to their decisions as on a careful review of a parole applicant’s prison record and statements.
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